In May 2020, Brian May suffered a heart attack and underwent cardiac surgery, during which he had three stents inserted into three blocked arteries. The guitarist’s recovery took a while since he experienced complications due to his medication. During a recent appearance on Loose Women, May’s wife, Anita Dobson, revealed the background of the unfortunate incident.
“I didn’t accuse him,” Anita said before revealing her reaction to her partner’s illness. “What I thought was he’d just done a complete workout because he was getting fit for touring. And so, when he suddenly went, ‘I’m having that…’ you know, we are all a bit melodramatic. ‘I’ve got a terrible headache. I’m sure it’s cancer,’ and whatever. He just said, ‘I think I’m having a heart attack.’”
Dobson continued, “I went, ‘No, no, you’ve probably just overexerted yourself. You’ve over-exercised. I’ll make you a cup of tea.’ He says, ‘No, this is not a tea moment. I think I’m having a heart attack for real.’ So, for that five seconds, I thought, ‘What do I do? Brandy, sugar, ambulance?’ All at the same time, you know.”
Yet, they soon realized how serious it was when they went to the hospital. Anita added, “It wasn’t until the next day that we realized how bad it was because he went to the doctor, he took a blood test, and he came back home, and then the next morning, the doctor screeched around outside our house and said, ‘Put him in the car, we are going to the hospital.’ He had three stents put in.”
Then, one of the hosts asked Anita whether she felt guilty for downplaying the seriousness of the situation. The actress replied, sharing her feelings at the moment, “No, I wasn’t unkind. You just don’t know what to do. All I could feel was fear and panic, but it was true.”
So, Dobson initially thought Brian May had just overexercised before while preparing for the tour. However, she panicked when they both realized it was a heart attack. In the hospital, the guitarist learned that three of his arteries were blocked, so he needed to undergo a small procedure. This came as a shock to many since May has been known for his healthy lifestyle, as he regularly exercises and avoids drinking and smoking.
